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The last picture I posted showed the nose after all the extra fabric has been trimmed away. Something that always seems to happen to me is that when the kite is flailing around (and please don't mistake me for a skilled flyer... I really do mean flailing), one of the lines catches on the nose fabric no matter how close I hot cut it to the leading edge. See close up for the spot that is the culprit.

To avoid having the lines catch here, I figured I'd try to imitate some other kites... Paul Shirey's kites, Silver Fox pro etc. The goal is to stitch a piece of dacron over the jagged edge of fabric. Don't be misled into thinking I do a good job at this, and don't mistake it for the way other builders accomplish similar outcomes by bringing a portion of the leading edge to the outside of the nose (Sky Sport Design, Skyburner and others). My point is that this is one way to do it and with practice, I believe you could make yours look more beautiful than mine. The first thing to do is cut a pieces of 2" or 3" wide dacron in a strip approx 4" long and fold it in half like you do for the leading edge.

Then, lay it in place so it folds around the problem area of the nose and sew a seam approx 2mm from the leading edge. You can see that the flap will be huge and that I sew down and back a few times (not beautiful, but functional). When you sew, you want to pull the fabric in as tight as you can to eliminate any wrinkles on the edge.

Once you've sewn the dacron in place, use two metal straight edges and cut off the excess material as close to the seam as you can (or as close as possible without letting the stitch break out). This will dull your blade, so I keep a fairly large stash of new blades for future use.

Finally, after all is trimmed, here is a picture of the finished nose as I have built it (please ignore the stitching). Remember that this is different than the original plan, but will result in the same frame specs but the sail is 1cm shorter at the nose.

just a couple of steps left to finish the sail. To cut out the hole for the center T to pass through the sail, I use the same washer I used in my leading edge cutout. I locate the mark I made on the front of the sail and I cut two holes, one above the other... I notice now looking at the pictures that I was just a little off center; not a huge deal, but it will be aesthetically more pleasing if they are centered. Avoid this mistake by drawing cross marks to more easily center the washer when cutting.

once the holes are cut, I use a straight edge to take off the small tabs on the inside... resulting in the oval shaped hole. In the future, I may pay to have some stencils made for these type of holes, as I always to the same side for all of my kites. For now, this is sufficient.

Then, as you've already seen the wingtip detail, I melt two small holes in each wing tip at 1 and 3 cm from the end (on the leading edge side of the seam). I use the same soldering iron I use to hot cut my fabric, and I make the hole just large enough for a strand of dacron cord to pass through it. These will be used to tension the leading edge. In the past, I've used only one hole, but for this build it is my intent to more evenly distribute the stress of the leading edge tension over two holes to hopefully maximize the life of the fabric. I will show how to tension the leading edge near the end of the build.

That brings me to the end of the photos I have loaded on my computer. Currently residing on the camera are pictures of the standoff tab re-enforements, the completion of the framing, and the beginning of my bridle construction. It's getting close to finished! Picture of the final product may be ready as early as next week, but I work most of this week, so forgive me for delays (I've found this to be a patient crowd). Also, there are two future threads to come... kite sleeve construction and a new kite build (the P2... plans recently made available to the world).

ok... time to finish this sail. Really the only thing left is to add some small tabs that will act as standoff re-enforcements. I made these out of dacron. in past (and probably future builds) I tend to put these on the sail before I attach the trailing edge, but I forgot in this case, so I'm adding them at the end. Further more, I would usually have them wrap around the bottom of the trailing edge, but due to the fact that I have mylar re-enforcements in the sail, and that I used dacron for the trailing edge, I'm only putting these tabs on the front side of the sail.

I start by cutting these pieces with a straight edge and a hobby knife (I do use a lighter to lightly singe the edge to prevent fraying).

I then sew them onto the sail on the front side, overlapping the trailing edge and using a straight stitch. this way, if I cut through the seam of the trailing edge when I cut the standoff hole, I have a straight stitch that will keep the trailing edge seam from coming out further.

Then I cut the hole for the standoff. I cut a hole slightly smaller than the post on the standoff connector... and then use a hot cutter to melt the edge of the hole to a size that the standoff connector will fit in (snuggly). Here is a picture taken prior to melting the holes to there larger size.

That pretty much does it for the sail portion of this kite build. In the next thread, I'll talk about how I prep and build my frame. Also, keep an eye out in the Kite Building and Repair forum for a new thread that will cover the kite sleeve construction (I'll be starting it soon).

so it was only a few months ago that I posted a single entry on frame building technique. Showing the specifics for the lower spreaders. I also mentioned that I would show some detail and explain how I ferrule the lower spreader.

To recap: 1. measure twice. anytime you're going to cut any spar (especially the expensive ones), measure twice and make a mark that is easy to see.2. be consistent and take into account which side of your easy to see markings you will cut. The width of whatever blade you use to cut can be 2-4mm of difference in your spar length if you cut on the wrong side of the mark.3. I cut my spar to have a little slop (1-2mm extra) so that I can sand it down to the finished edge. 4. to finish, I sand the spar to length, then sand a very sort taper to smooth out the end.

For the lower spreader. as mentioned a ways back in the thread, I opt to shim the large end of my nitro spar with a portion of p100 so I can use a .240 solid ferrule. (this saves me from having to drill out my center T). So, I first glue the P100 shim onto the ferrule itself (this is not reflected in the pictures). First, I cut a ferrule so that there is enough length to cover 2" in each lower spreader, plus approximately 1/2" for the width of the center T. I don't really have many pictures of the lower spreader being constructed, but here is one showing the expanded (none glued) ferruled spreader so you have an idea of how it goes together. I glue the p100 to the ferrule and clean off the excess glue, then I glue this piece into the spar. For more detailed pictures that mostly explain this process, look ahead to the leading edge construction.

Ok then. The plan indicates that the leading edge should be 1523mm long (including end caps). I'm not sure if my leading edge will match this exact dimension, but I'll measure and report at the end of this process. The reason I'm not sure if this will be the same is that I will measure the leading edge out on the sail, figure out where my ferrule will be placed and determine how far out I want the tip of the leading edge to extend from the wingtip of the sail. My preference is to have a ferruled leading edge... and if you're using p200 spars as the plan calls for, this will be required since one spar will not span the length of the leading edge.

I start with the upper leading edge. Taking a p200 spar and placing a vinyl end cap on, I thread the spar into the upper portion of the sail through the leading edge cutout. The bottom portion of this spar is left out for the sake of measuring and marking. The first place I mark is the upper leading edge spreader connector location. (I just match the mark I made on the sail and add it to the spar). Make sure the spar is seated as far into the nose as you can so you get accurate measurements.

Next, I thread the lower leading edge spar into the wingtip and out throughout the leading edge cut out... now the upper portion to be left out for measuring. I place it so approx 1.5" sticks out of the wing tip. (remember that there will be some added length when I place the nock on the spar). some of the length will also be take up when the sail is under tension.

now with both spars in the sail (sort of), I tension the sail as best as I can. I mark the upper spar where the lower one meets. My preference is to leave the lower spar at full length. This makes it easier to replace if you break the lower spar. Some kites can't manage this due to where the yo-yo stoppers or leading edge connectors sit, but with the B'zar 2011 it works fine to have a full length lower spreader. Not shown in the pictures, but I also make a mark where the lower leading edge connector will sit while the spar is in the sail (as I did for the upper portion)

With the lower spreader, I make a small arrow pointing to the nose where I've made the leading edge connector mark. This way I know which way to thread the spar in the future.

Once I'm done with one leading edge, I use those spars to mark the spars for the other side. I butt the spars up against a stop and copy the measurements to the opposite leading edge spars. This requires a little bit of faith in myself that I built the sail symmetrically... but I've had good luck in the past so I have no reason not to trust myself. If you're worried, repeat the steps at the beginning of this entry for both leading edges.

Next post will include detailed pictures of how I prep and glue the ferruled (upper leading edge) spar.

ok... building the upper leading edge. I have already marked where the spar needs to be cut by comparing where the lower leading edge meets up with the upper leading edge. I then take the spar out of the sail, mark the spar for the opposite leading edge, and then tape at the mark (tape on the portion of the spar that will be kept... this protects the spar and is a reminder of which side of the mark to cut on. When I cut these spars, I leave a small amount (approx 1mm) that will be sanded flush while the tape is still on the spar.

sorry I don't have a pic of the taped spar sanded to the exact length; your imagination should suffice. After sanding the spar to be even with the tape, I remove the tape and sand a taper to the end of the spar... this will help keep it from snagging or wearing prematurely on the inside of the leading edge.

for the leading edge ferrule, I use a 3" portion of solid .240 carbon. I sand a taper on the end of the ferrule that will slide in and out of the lower leading edge. I then tape this end of the ferrule so that the tape indicates the middle of the ferrule. This way, when I glue the spar, when the tape is removed, any excess glue will peal off.

I also reapply tape to the upper leading edge spar prior to gluing. again, this way when I take the tape off it will remove any excess glue. Here is a picture of the ferrule glued into the upper leading edge, prior to tape removal.

and here is a picture of the finished upper leading edge at the ferruled end. notes how the ferrule and the spar itself are tapered to reduce wear on the leading edge and to help guide the lower leading edge spar into place.

to make the standoffs, I cut 4x 3mm spars to 265mm (the plan calls for 2 at this length and 2 shorter ones... I shorten them later). once I have the standoffs cut to length, I pound the carbon into the sail side standoff connector.

The reason for cutting all of them to 265mm is that there is inevitably some variance when cutting... I pic the two that are closest to the desired length and finish the end by sanding it down to a taper.

because I use the exel standoff to spreader connectors, I do not put a vinyl end cap on my standoffs. If you use APA standoff connectors, you will want to use a vinyl end cap on each connector. This will increase the length by a few millimeters, so do some trial and error measuring before (or if) you glue the end caps in place to make sure you have the appropriate length.

The two standoffs that were slightly off of their measurement go back in the hobby vice and I measure as accurately as I can and mark the 261mm mark for the shorter length. note that the cut should be just to the right of the mark in the next picture to get the proper length. the mark will be sanded off when the end of the spar is tapered.

here is a pic of all the ends of the standoffs... note how small the difference in length is. Don't get them confused when you attach to the sail. The shorter spar goes to the outside of the long one.

Another 10 minute task that needs to be completed is the wing tip nocks. I use HQ style nocks. They need to be fitted to a .240" ferrule so they will slide into the leading edge spar. I put a solid carbon spar in my vice (gently... remember that a vice can damage a carbon spar; even a solid one). I place the nock on the spar and then measure 1.5" from the base of the nock to where I will cut. See the picture. I cut the spar to this length and then repeat.

Also needing to be done is making leading edge connector stoppers. Many people use 'c' clips. I prefer to cut the end of a vinyl end cap off and use the remaining tube. it is a little cleaner than the 'c' clip and is easy to glue. The only downside to using the vinyl is that once glued, it is harder to get off the spar... so measure twice and glue once. I actually cut 6 of these little homemade connector stoppers, as there will be one fore each leading edge connector, and one on the top and bottom of the center T.

And, at the end of this post, just a little teaser of the almost finished kite (no bridle yet, but a good idea of how it will look at the end).

Ok, a couple of quick things. I've been holding off on some of the documentation, as I was waiting to hear from Ken McNeill of Blue Moon Kites (link on the right). I have adapted and used a number of Ken's techniques in my own kite making and I wanted his permission before I disclosed/showed how some of the particular traits of the kite. He has given his "ok" so I will continue with the documentation.

First, and probably next in the process is preparation of the leading edge APA connectors. On many of my kites, I use the TAPA connectors for the upper spreader in order to stream line the leading edge (smaller connector = smoother covered edge). The TAPA work great with a 5mm upper spreader. For larger kites that utilize a 6mm upper spreader, a full size APA works better to hold the spreader in place without it popping out. Ken uses full size APA connectors, but modifies the outside edge of the connector to lower the leading edge profile. it is a minimal affect on the part, but results in a significantly smoother leading edge on the kite... see the modified part on the left and the original on the right.

To accomplish this, I load a 6mm spar with two of Ken's brass weights and the connector (as seen in the picture). Then, using a bench grinder I bring the profile of the connector down to match the diameter of the weights (being careful to avoid grinding the weights down, as I will be using them for the kite). Ken had no problem sharing this technique with me and I now customize all of my full size APA connectors in this way. Be careful with the grinder, as it will take off material very fast (including skin and bone if you should accidentally touch the stone while it is spinning... please take safety into consideration when doing this yourself).

It is important to use the small rest on the grinder to support the connector while you shape it... so shape one side, then flip and shape the other. If you have a Blue Moon kite, take a look at the connectors to get and idea of how far around you should shape the part... notice that I avoid taking any material off of the area where the spreader is placed. You only need to take material off the leading edge side to effect he profile of the covered leading edge.

oh, and earlier I mentioned that I would measure my leading edges to see how close they came to the 1523mm dictated in the plan... with the technique I use to measure and cut my leading edge, the length of my end product = 1521mm (with endcaps). So even though I altered the nose pattern, my frame is almost identical to the plan. And even more importantly, my spine is 842mm... exactly the same as the plan calls for (and I'll be showing the spine construction soon, as I have held off due to the fact that it is a replica of Ken McNeill's system).

Ok, time to put some of these spars in the kite. Before you put the spars in the leading edge, make sure you glue the leading edge connector stops in place. I test fit everything first, then take it all back out and glue it up when I know the marks are in the right place (this is a pain, but I've regretted not doing it in the past... also, I discourage you from gluing things in place when they are in the sail; I've glued the sail to the spar before and this is not something that will make you happy).

Once the stops are glued in place, slide the connector onto the nose end of the upper and leading edges. Not pictured here, but make sure you also place your vinyl end cap on the upper spar before you place it in the kite. Here is the lower spreader prepped to go in after the upper leading edge.

So, note that you should put the upper leading edge in first, but I was so exited to get the spar in the kite I forgot to take pictures. It is the same process as the lower leading edge. First, slide the spar into the leading edge cutout going toward the wing tip. then, as you insert into the leading edge toward the nose, work the APA connector down towards the stopper you glued on. Work the spar toward the nose and push the connector further along. Alternate sliding the spar, then the connector until the spar is seated completely in the nose and the connector is butted up against the stopper. If you want to see this done to perfection, check out Jest of Eve media section to watch video of the process (he uses a little bit of soapy water to help the connectors slide easier... not a bad idea for tight fitting parts).

Once in place, it should look like this; notice how low the profile is on the leading edge covers. this is due to the custom APA connectors, and to the fact that I have a large cutout that allows for a more gradual transition going over the connector.

After putting in the upper leading edge, repeat the process with the lower leading edge and then on the opposite side of the kite. Next I'll show how I tension my leading edges with HQ nocks.

leading edge tensioning: I use dacron cord... 1000 ft of it is only 13 dollars and will last until the end of time if this is all you use it for. I start with an exuberant amount because it is easier to tie when it is long and I don't care about cutting of 6 or 7 inches when I'm done. So take about a forearms length of cord off the spool... cut it and melt the end with a lighter to prevent fraying.

Fold over 2" worth and tie a loop.

It's hard to see, but this is a picture of the loose end of the knot melted down.

thread the loop through the first hole (closest to the wingtip). Thread from the front of the kite to the back. only the loop has to go through, not the knot.

now, take the other end of the cord and thread it through the hole in the nock (not the slot) and note the orientation for the nock... thread from the large opening, out through the small.

now, on the back side of the sail, thread the loose end of the cord through the loop as shown, towards the nose.

at this point, you can put some tension on the leading edge. pull everything tight and it will stay (to a point). This picture is of the back of the sail, after putting some tension on the cord.

Next, thread the loose end through the second hole... from the back of the sail to the front. (a little out of focus in this picture, but you get the idea I hope).

Now, bring the loose end around and into the slot in the end nock. While pulling it tight, mark a spot with a metallic sharpie where the knot will be tied. A significant amount of pull should be used as the line will let a minuscule amount of tension off when the knot backs into the slot.

At the mark, tie 2 or 3 overhand knots on top of one another (so it won't slide back through the slot). Then cut the cord so you have about 5" of slack that will act as an easy to grab/hold extension (don't worry, it won't show in the end). Be sure to melt the end to avoid fraying (not shown).

Then, with the sail tensioned, slide the loose cord end up into the leading edge side of the sail.

For the spine weight system, I have made use of Ken McNeill's system (so I can conveniently use his 5 gram weights). He has given me permission to show this in the thread, so hear it is.

It's pretty straight forward/simple, and anyone with a Blue Moon Kite could probably figure it out. To start, take a 6" length of .240 pultruded carbon and finish the ends like the ferrules in the leading edge. Secondly, cut a 1cm portion your spine or other carbon tube (I had some left over P2x from an old build that I chose, but any sky shark tube with .240 inner diameter should do the trick). Glue it so you have approx 1.75 inches (this 1 cm sleeve portion acts as a stopper for the spine, so use significant amounts of glue and wipe off any access with a rag... be fast). Here is the picture of the finished tail end of the spine with loose parts.

Using the APA connector and the 'o' ring, placed the weights on the spine (you can probably get brass tubes/bushings and grind them down to size, but I already have a gaggle of these weights from the stack of blue moon kites I'm acquiring over the last couple of years). I like Ken's weights because they are 5 grams each. The plan calls for 20 grams, so use 4 weights. I'm starting with 10 grams just to try it out. Also remember that my nose is shaped differently than the plan and might alter how much weight is preferred. Everyone may have their own preference so use what you like.

Keep in mind that you will have to shorten your spine tube to accommodate this piece. Shorten the spine by the length measured from the base of the APA connector to the upper end of the carbon sleeve... in this picture it is 4 and 5/8 inch. I actually placed the tail portion of the spine in the velcro strap and the spine tube in the nose and measure out the length I have to cut off the spine in that manor... just like how I measure out the leading edge spars. Any way will work fine, just remember to measure twice, cut once.

Here is the spine in place. Note that there is enough space for approx 6 weights. There is no reason you couldn't build the tail piece longer, but I don't see a need to have more than 25 grams. If you need more, you can get some solid brass rods from a hobby shop that can be glued inside the tail piece.

Next I'll start going over the bridle and all of it's parts. This will take me a while as I'll be covering the knots, the attachment leads (leading edge and spine tie points), and how to measure in a way that you can re-create more than one and to ensure symmetry.

What you should be thinking about now are the basic knots you'll be using... lark's head, prusik, sheep bend, overhand... all important.

lets talk about some knots. There are 4 basic knots I use to tie up a bridle. (I have also opted to sew my bridles, but for this build I'll be covering what it takes to tie the entire thing). The 4 knots are...1. overhand knot2. larks head3. prusik knot4. sheet bend (also called becket bend)

Keep in mind that for this short series on knots, I've posted picture of two different ropes for purpose of clarity. Neither of these are bridle line. It is hard to describe the steps of tying knots without covering basic terminology like "bight, working end, elbow, standing part etc" . I have no intention of teaching these terms since these are pretty simple knots. My limited dialogue is actually not terribly important; just follow the pictures. If more instruction is needed please feel free to view any of the numerous youtube videos available for most of these knots.

Almost everyone knows how to tie an overhand knot. I use this knot mostly to form loops and at marked adjustment points for bridle fine tuning. Something I like to emphasize is when forming a loop, or any time you tie an overhand knot with two portions of bridle line, is that the components stay neat and don't cross over each other within the knot.

1. To tie and overhand loop, fold a measured portion of the line back on itself:

Then loop this portion around itself:

bring the folded end through the loop:

tighten the knot as close to the end of the folded back portion as able:

Note how tidy this is. I am particular about making knots look as even as possible for consistent measuring and strength. (a poorly tied knot is a weak knot).

2. Lark's head knots are hitches... to connect a leg to the attachment point (also used to attach flying lines to the bridle). A lark's head will slide, so needs a stopper knot to keep the hitch in place (such as an overhand knot!) and from sliding out of position.

To tie a lark's head (for this application), start with the overhand loop (make sure the loop is appropriately large... I'll cover this later, but I usually fold back a 10cm length in order to tie my loops; which result in a final loop size of approx 8.5cm).

fold the loop back on itself, creating two smaller loops side by side:

thread loops over the portion that you are attaching to.

tighten the knot so that it is neat... it should look like this without lines crossing in an awkward manor.

3. A prusik knot is like a fancy lark's head... and can be "locked" into position to prevent sliding. I use this knot to connect the upper/outer leg portion to the inner leg/turbo portion... more detail on this later.

Note that the way I'm showing to tie this knot requires that both ends of the bridle are free at this time... as one end will pass back through the loop we need.

again, start with a loop in the rope. Place the loop under the portion to be tied around.

pass the opposite end of the line through the loop, around the static line you are attaching this hitch to, then neaten up the knot by pulling it up to look like the second picture below. Note that at this point, a lark's head has been formed (loosely).

Now bring the loose end of the line around again and pass it through the loop a second time... like a double lark's head

pull the slack of the line through the knot and neaten it up. The final knot should look like this (this would be the "unlocked" form of this knot that can slide like a lark's head:

To lock the knot in place so that it won't slide, pull the ends back so that the loops in the knots are reversed to look like this:

in the locked variation of this knot, it will not slide either direction.

4. The becket's bend (commonly referred to as a sheet bend) is the hitch I use to attach the activator to the lower leg. This is a hitch that will use minimal amount of line to tie a secure knot. Notes about the pictures, when tying this with large rope, it is crucial to have a length of rope (the loose end) remaining outside of the hitch... with the bridle line, I have a minimal amount of slack and I melt the slack up to the knot to clean it up. The melted end of the bridle will keep it from unraveling.

First, form a bend in the line you are attaching to (the white rope in this case). Bring the loose end of the red line up and through the bend as pictured here:

Bring the open/loose end of the knot around the back of the static line as pictured:

Now, as the loose line passes back in front of the static bend, thread it under itself and out to form this figure:

Now, snug up the knot to form the completed hitch.

The knot will stay in place, even when the original bent portion of static line is stretched out again and results in a hitch that uses up a minimal amount of length in the leg of the bridle:

Next I'll start showing how I configure my bridle, and how to measure it out.

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